Hey Bugman is this legit?

[Fitze55]

I came across this in my online travels. I'm never sure what to believe?

Big enough to eat a carrot, LOL!

Thanks

http://gizmodo.com/5864195/the-worlds-biggest-insect-is-so-freaking-huge-it-can-eat-a-carrot

 

[dpricenator]

Dude, I'm gonna have nightmares from that....

 

[cartisdm]

Luckily, the Giant Weta is only found on Little Barrier Island in New Zealand so I'll just avoid that area for the rest of my life and live in peace

Um...my thoughts exactly.

 

[Fitze55]

Check out those two pics of bugs at the bottem of the link, those are crazy scary!

 

[dpricenator]

All three would make me cry.

 

[danthebugman]

Yep, they sure are :thumbsup:. They're native to New Zealand and I'm pretty sure that's the only place they occur. They're kind of like katydids on steroids! Though that specimen looks particularly large so not sure if the pic has been doctored or anything, but here's a video of a real life one to give you an idea...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg9qVkQgHrE"]Cook Strait Giant Weta on Somes Island - YouTube[/ame]

Dan

 

[danthebugman]

Check out those two pics of bugs at the bottem of the link, those are crazy scary!

Those are actually arthropods, not insects. The big one on the trash can is a Coconut crab, they're related to Hermit crabs.

Dan

 

[Fitze55]

Yep, they sure are :thumbsup:. They're native to New Zealand and I'm pretty sure that's the only place they occur. They're kind of like katydids on steroids! Though that specimen looks particularly large so not sure if the pic has been doctored or anything, but here's a video of a real life one to give you an idea...

Cook Strait Giant Weta on Somes Island - YouTube

Dan

Can you eat them? I wonder if they are better grilled or baked?

Surprised I never saw them on Fear Factor when that show was on.

 

[dpricenator]

Too bad the coocnut crab is supposed to taste like chit, because there is some serious meat there.

 

[smokingIsh]

Too bad the coocnut crab is supposed to taste like chit, because there is some serious meat there.

They ate one on man, woman, wild and they said it was good. But who knows... Those shows tend to exagerate everything.

 

[danthebugman]

Can you eat them? I wonder if they are better grilled or baked?

Surprised I never saw them on Fear Factor when that show was on.

They'd probably taste like a juicy grasshopper :dunno:. I believe they're protected in their natural habitat which is why they don't turn up on Fear Factor or shows like that. They're easy picking for things like cats and dogs so on the New Zealand main land they're pretty rare. You have to go to the smaller islands off shore to find them.

Dan

 

[cartisdm]

They're kind of like katydids on steroids!

I used to be SCARED TO DEATH of katydids (or camel crickets?) when I was a little kid. We had them in my basement growing up and they would jump up in my face or land on my shoulders. I actually created my own suit out of aluminum foil that I would wear when I had to go down there...

 

[Fitze55]

I used to be SCARED TO DEATH of katydids (or camel crickets?) when I was a little kid. We had them in my basement growing up and they would jump up in my face or land on my shoulders. I actually created my own suit out of aluminum foil that I would wear when I had to go down there...

Didn't one crawl in your ear and never come out?

 

[smokinbodybuilder]

I remember when I was little we went on vaco to South Dakota during the season when all the grasshoppers are out. I wouldnt even get out of the car. I thought the world was ending. They were everywhere. You couldn't walk through a parking lot without leaving footprints from stepping on them. I just shivered thinking about it.

 

[Monsterdg]

Didn't one crawl in your ear and never come out?

Star Trek, Wrath of Khan. (shudder)

 

[iCraig]

Chalk that up as a place i won't be visiting...

 

[Clint]

That thing could guard my house at less expense than a Doberman!

 

[danthebugman]

I used to be SCARED TO DEATH of katydids (or camel crickets?) when I was a little kid. We had them in my basement growing up and they would jump up in my face or land on my shoulders. I actually created my own suit out of aluminum foil that I would wear when I had to go down there...

If they were in your basement they were camel crickets.

Katydid (my favorite species and yes it's really that pink)...

Camel Cricket...

Dan

 

[Alwayslit]

Anything fried or in chocolate should be fine:barf:

 

[njstone]

Scary! Weta Workshop (the computer graphics and animation studio created for Lord of the Rings) is named after these buggers.